Year in Review: Rasmus was drafted 28th overall in the 2005 amateur draft by the Cardinals, and 2009 marked his debut in the big leagues. In his rookie campaign, he hit 16 homers and posted a batting line of .251/.307/.407 to go along with his wOBA of .311. He also drove in 52 runs, scored 72 runs, and stole three bases in only four tries. Away from the plate, Rasmus was a fantastic defender for the Redbirds, forcing manager Tony La Russa to find ways to get him into the lineup, even if his bat left much to be desired. Rasmus struggled against lefties, hitting only .160/.219/.255 against them.

The Year Ahead: The center-field job looks like Rasmus’ to lose going into spring training, allowing owners to draft him without worrying about competition for playing time. He has shown in the minor leagues that he has more speed than he displayed in his rookie season. He stole 18 bags in Double-A ball and 15 bags in only 90 games in Triple-A, so there is a chance he will give owners more steals than the measly three that he produced last year. Rasmus has nice line-drive and fly-ball rates, so with another year to mature and get stronger, he could very easily hit more than 20 homers. Rasmus is still a project, but don’t be afraid to scoop him up as your third or fourth outfielder. (Zach Sanders)

Profile: Although the big story with Colby Rasmus during the 2010 season was his ongoing feud with manager Tony La Russa, he and the Cardinals did actually play some games during the summer. Rasmus compiled 534 plate appearances, struggling mightily with strikeouts (31% of ABs) but excelling in every other offensive factor. He hit 23 home runs in a power explosion not seen since his 2007 season in Double-A. His .354 BABIP canceled out much of his strikeout issues, resulting in a decent .276 batting average and a very good .361 OBP. Although Rasmus is clearly a talented player, there are question marks heading into 2011. Due to his inconsistency in the minors, his power can be questioned. It's unlikely he hits for a .354 BABIP again. And we still don't know how reliably La Russa will use him in the lineup, particularly against left-handed pitchers. Despite the very high potential -- a cut in strikeout rates would do wonders for his game -- there are too many mitigating factors to consider Rasmus an elite fantasy outfielder. Rasmus should still provide 15 HRs, 10 SBs, and decent RBI/R numbers, but he may hurt in batting average and probably won't be a full-time player. (Jack Moore)

The Quick Opinion: The focus with Rasmus will certainly be on his feud with manager Tony La Russa. When Rasmus is on the field, expect him to be a solid fantasy outfielder in 2011.

Profile: It was a pretty disappointing season for Rasmus, who admitted to needing a change of scenery, but performed even worse once he was given it. Rasmus posted an abysmal 0.13 walk-to-strikeout rate in Toronto, and while it was just 140 plate appearances, and some of the poor performance is due to a jammed wrist he suffered in late August, it’s enough to throw up red flags. Even before the wrist injury, he had only hit .239/.314/.415 for the season, with 14 homers and five steals across 478 plate appearances -- hardly starter material. Rasmus will be just 25 next season, so he is certainly too young to give up on, especially since he has demonstrated 20-home run power as a center fielder, but he is now more sleeper pick than sexy pick. (Paul Swydan)

The Quick Opinion: Rasmus’ main strengths entering 2011 were his plate discipline and his power, but his plate discipline nosedived at the end of the season. He can still be a valuable asset, but wait him out in your draft.

Profile: Colby Rasmus’ 1.4 WAR was dead-last among qualified center fielders in the American League in 2012. His .289 OBP was also last among the same group. The bottom line: Rasmus hasn’t delivered on his potential. Not yet, at least. That’s the bad news. There is some good news: Rasmus his 23 home runs, tying his career high, and had 75 RBI, establishing a new career high. That means he’s got some, if limited, fantasy value. But he strikes out too much, doesn’t walk enough, and he can’t steal any bases. Rasmus, for the most part, is a flawed baseball player, and dreams of him being a 20/20 man are all but dead. He’s 26, and I’m a sucker for potential, but it’s important to face facts. Unless his plate discipline improves, Rasmus isn’t going to do anything but disappoint. Right now, he’s a gamble, a late one, worth a few bucks, maybe, or even just one, in your deeper or AL-only leagues. (Navin Vaswani)

The Quick Opinion: Colby Rasmus hit 23 home runs and established a new career high with 75 RBI, so offers some, if limited, fantasy value. He remains a flawed baseball player who can get by on his potential for only so long. Rasmus can’t hit left-handed pitching, and unless his plate discipline improves, he’s not going to do anything but disappoint. A late pick in your deeper leagues, at best.

Profile: Since 2010, Rasmus has gone from promising young player to near-bust to post-hype sleeper. His bat fell apart in 2011 with St. Louis, and did not recover after his trade to Toronto that season or even in 2012. Going into 2013, many people had begun to write him off, but he had arguably the best season of his career, hitting .276/.338/.501 with 22 home runs (in less than 500 plate appearances) while playing good defense in center field. It was not a superstar performance, but it was definitely good, and Rasmus will still be just 27 to start the 2014 season. One should approach Rasmus with a bit of caution at the draft. The power does seem to have returned, but his plate discipline arguably worsened in 2014 -- his strikeout rate, never good, was the worst of his career, and he still only walks at about a league average rate. His 2014 average was boosted by a .356 batting average on balls in play, much higher than the still pop-up prone Rasmus usually enjoys. As of this writing, the Blue Jays are also being careful, and are rumored to be shopping Rasmus. This is not to say that Rasmus is just going to fall back into his 2011 or 2012 numbers. His relative youth and raw skills matter. But do not pay for 2013. A more reasonable expectation for 2014 might be .250/.320/.450 with 20-25 home runs. That will cut it in the outfield in many leagues, but he is not a top outfielder. (Matt Klaassen)

The Quick Opinion: Rasmus' 2013 shot him back into fantasy relevance, fulfilling some of the potential he has always had. He's draftable in most leagues, but do not expect a repeat of his 2013 numbers.

Profile: There is no telling what lurks inside the enigmatic Colby Rasmus. As promising as his prodigious power might be, there are too many lost years on his resume to make any bold proclamations about how he might look next season. We know a few things for sure about Rasmus' game: he has big time power and problems putting the bat on the ball. He misses time with one ailment or another every year, and he managed to get himself benched by a playoff contender during his free agent walk year. Where does he go from here? Does he continue on as a left-handed version of B.J. Upton, striking out more and more with diminishing power returns? Does he produce to his projections, slugging just enough to provide league-average offense in a position in dire need of some pop? Believe in the latter. Rasmus is a flawed player and the five tool dreams of the past are dead, but he can still put up a .250/.300/.450 type season for a club in need. A .276/.338/.501 season with 22 home runs is not far in the rear view, in the right situation (Houston could be that) he can certainly get close to those levels once again. (Drew Fairservice)

The Quick Opinion: The puzzling outfielder may never realize his full potential but Colby Rasmus' power and defense will play as long as you can live with the strikeouts and injuries.

Profile: The 25 home runs Rasmus powered last year represented a single season best for him, and his 9.7% walk rate was the second highest mark of his career. It wasn't all sunshine and roses for the outfielder, as he displayed his largest offensive hole along side those homers: his strikeout rate. Rasmus' metamorphosis into a three true outcomes player is all but complete now given how 46.5% of his plate appearances ended with a walk, a homer, or a strikeout. Another season of 20+ dingers, around 60 runs and RBIs and a poor batting average is once again likely for him, though playing time concerns may pop up if he isn't connecting with for the long ball. The Astros have Andrew Aplin likely starting the season behind him in Triple-A, not to mention Preston Tucker and Jake Marisnick on the big league roster. Unless you play in a strikeout penalty league, Rasmus' power and okay-if-not-great counting stats make him a viable fifth outfielder, even with a sub-.240 batting average. But there are players that could take his playing time around him. (David Wiers)

The Quick Opinion: In a somewhat surprising move, Rasmus accepted the Astros qualifying offer and thus he'll return to Minute Maid Park. He hit just 12 of his 25 homers at home, though the Astros play in a very home run friendly park for lefty power. He'll still be useful for his power and his power alone.